North Korea Warns Other Nations Against Satellite Interference

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea warned the United States,Japan and their allies not to interfere with its plan to launch asatellite into space next month, saying Tuesday any interventioncould doom already stalled talks on ending its nuclear weaponsprogram.

North Korea has declared its intention to send a communicationssatellite into space between April 4 and 8, and a defense analystsaid recent images of the launch pad indicated preparations werecontinuing. Regional powers suspect the North will use the launchto test its long-range missile technology, and has warned Pyongyangthe launch would trigger international sanctions.

A 2006 U.N. Security Council resolution prohibits North Koreafrom engaging in ballistic activity, which Washington and itsallies say includes firing a long-range missile or using a rocketto send a satellite into space.

On Tuesday, the North's Foreign Ministry reasserted its right topeaceful development of its space program.

"The countries which find fault with (North Korea's) satellitelaunch, including the U.S. and Japan, launched satellites beforeit," said the statement carried by the North's official KoreanCentral News Agency. The stance proves their "their hostilitytoward us," it said.

The impending launch has raised tensions in the region. SouthKorea's Yonhap news agency reported that the country's top nuclearnegotiator, Wi Sung-lac said Seoul is working on responses to anyrocket launch.

"As the clock ticks, we are placing more weight oncountermeasures after a launch," he was quoted by Yonhap as sayingon Tuesday.

Satellite images from March 16 indicate that preparations forthe launch of a satellite are moving forward, but the rocket wasnot yet on the launch pad in those photos, analyst Christian LeMiere, an editor at Jane's Intelligence Review, said Tuesday.

It's possible the rocket has been placed on the launch pad sincethe images were taken, he said from London.

Japan has hinted it could shoot down any missile, but thecountry's foreign minister cast doubt on that assertion on Tuesday.Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said "it would be difficult"for Japan to intercept fragments of a missile that might fall intoJapanese territory after a launch.

The North warned that the attempts by Washington and Tokyo todeny Pyongyang the right to use space for peaceful purposes wasdiscriminatory and not in keeping with "spirit of mutual respectand equality" of a disarmament pact Pyongyang signed in 2005 withfive other nations: China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the U.S.

Under the deal, the North pledged to abandon its nuclear programin exchange for aid and security guarantees. In 2007, the countryagreed on the initial disarmament steps - disabling its mainnuclear facilities in return for the equivalent of 1 million tonsof energy aid and other benefits.

The disarmament process, however, has been stalled since lastyear over a disagreement with Washington over how to verify theNorth's past atomic activities.

The statement warned that sanctions would "deprive thesix-party talks of any ground to exist or their meaning."

The North also said it would not abandon its nuclear weapons andhad no choice but to strengthen its forces in the face of suchhostility. The statement didn't elaborate.

Regional powers are looking to China, North Korea's biggestbenefactor and longtime communist ally, to help calm tensions inthe region and persuade the North to return to the negotiatingtable. Both China's president and premier have urged North Korea tocome back to the talks in recent days.

Tensions have been running high on the divided Korean peninsulasince a pro-U.S., conservative government took office in Seoul oneyear ago with a tougher policy on Pyongyang. The North cut off tieswith South Korea, halted key joint projects and significantlyrestricted border traffic.

The U.S. stations about 28,500 troops to deter aggression fromNorth Korea, which is still technically at war with South Koreasince their 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peacetreaty.

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